Vaccines for adults: Which do you need?

You're not a kid anymore, so you don't have to worry about shots, right? Wrong. Find out how to stay on top of your vaccines.

What vaccines do adults need?

Vaccines for adults are recommended based on your age, prior vaccinations, health, lifestyle, occupation and where you travel.

The schedule is updated every year, and changes range from the addition of a new vaccine to tweaks of current recommendations. To determine exactly which vaccines you need now and which vaccines are coming up, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

What factors might affect my vaccine recommendations?

Several factors can affect whether you should get certain vaccines — or wait before getting them. Be sure to tell your doctor if you:

Are or might be pregnant

Are breast-feeding

Are moderately or severely ill or have a chronic illness

Have any severe allergies

Had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of a vaccine

Have had a disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome

Have a weakened immune system or are being treated with an immunosuppressant

Vaccines and preventable diseases: Who should not get vaccinated with these vaccines? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/should-not-vacc.htm. Accessed Jan. 2, 2014.

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